# Why should I enroll in Obamacare now/ The penalty for not doing so is tiny. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 31, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025 "2014-03-31T21:58:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/1 "2014-03-31T21:58:40Z")
Per the title. Assume I have no insurance at this point the penalty for not enrolling is only about 1% of your gross income. Assuming I’m a 55 year old nonsmoking man in good health and reasonable weight what operational factors should be making me run to enroll vs cutting a check for a thousand dollars? What am I missing? The penalty sounds like a better deal than enrolling for the first year at least. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/2 "2014-03-31T22:03:07Z")
You won’t go bankrupt if you get sick or in a bad accident. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/3 "2014-03-31T22:03:39Z")
Here’s to hoping you don’t break an arm or get prostate cancer! ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/4 "2014-03-31T22:16:19Z")
Yep. You get health insurance. That’s a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/5 "2014-03-31T22:17:30Z")
You’re not being a dick. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/6 "2014-03-31T22:25:21Z")
First of all, no one “enrolls in Obamacare.” You either buy health insurance or you don’t. There is no special “Obamacare” insurance you are mandated to enroll in. And if I read you correctly that $1000 represents 1% of your income, you probably have a job with really great benefits anyway and already have health insurance. And if you don’t, that’s foolish. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/7 "2014-03-31T22:35:29Z")
The deal is getting health care. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/8 "2014-03-31T22:48:12Z")
It’s not that complicated: you can pay a penalty and get nothing, or you can pay for health insurance and get health insurance. Depending on your situation and your income, you’re not even saving that much. > [@astro](#): > > Assume I have no insurance at this point the penalty for not enrolling is only about 1% of your gross income. The penalty rises to 2% in 2015 and 2.5% in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/9 "2014-03-31T22:50:39Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > First of all, no one “enrolls in Obamacare.” You either buy health insurance or you don’t. There is no special “Obamacare” insurance you are mandated to enroll in. > > And if I read you correctly that $1000 represents 1% of your income, you probably have a job with really great benefits anyway and already have health insurance. And if you don’t, that’s foolish. I’m a 100% commissioned real estate salesperson and paid as an independent contractor. The job has no benefits beyond the commission check. I am entirely responsible for all my health care costs. ---
**Author:** ![will567](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/51bf81/32.png) [@will567](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/will567)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/10 "2014-03-31T23:07:05Z")
Have to agree with op(somewhat) on this one. First year penalty is low enough to make sense for those in lower income brackets. However $100k should be enough to let you buy insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/11 "2014-03-31T23:18:17Z")
> [@will567](#): > > Have to agree with op(somewhat) on this one. First year penalty is low enough to make sense for those in lower income brackets. However $100k should be enough to let you buy insurance. Well, there certainly is an argument the penalty should be higher, but that’s not the feeling I got from the OP. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/12 "2014-03-31T23:25:43Z")
I think this is worthy of taking a look at the risk analysis based on age, probability of using insurance. If you are relatively young and have no health problems and have a fairly risk-free lifestyle, insurance premiums may be more of a cost than it is worth. I know it would have been for me. Fortunately, I belong to a union and my employer pays the premiums. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/13 "2014-03-31T23:44:28Z")
Because at 55 you have hit that time of life when things stop working. Your colonoscopy will cost at least $1000. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/14 "2014-04-01T00:37:28Z")
Hallgirl1 works part-time at a store and make slightly more than minimum wage. (Shes in school full time.) Since she lives in Pennsylvania, we don’t have access to the federal benefits which could make healthcare affordable for her. (Thanks Govn. Corbutt!) The lowest quote she could find for healthcare premiums was around $400 a month, which would be nearly all her monthly salary. Because she’s not pregnant, she doesn’t qualify for Medical Assistance. In her case, she’s really left with no choice but to pay the penalty. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/15 "2014-04-01T02:45:47Z")
> [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](#): > > I think this is worthy of taking a look at the risk analysis based on age, probability of using insurance. If you are relatively young and have no health problems and have a fairly risk-free lifestyle, insurance premiums may be more of a cost than it is worth. I know it would have been for me. Fortunately, I belong to a union and my employer pays the premiums. Just because one lives a risk-free lifestyle doesn’t mean there are no risks. I know of countless stories of people who ended up in the ER because they had accidents in the ordinary course of their lives. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/16 "2014-04-01T02:56:58Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I’m a 100% commissioned real estate salesperson and paid as an independent contractor. The job has no benefits beyond the commission check. I am entirely responsible for all my health care costs. Your 55 years old and you don’t have ANY health insurance? Not even one of those crappy “major medical” plans that turns out not to pay for anything? And you’ve never had to pay out-of-pocket for a visit to the ER, or torn an ACL and needed surgery or at least physical therapy? Your cholesterol is good and no one in your family has a history of heart problems or cancer showing up when they were in their 50’s? You are the luckiest person in the world. Seriously. Take the money you would have spent on insurance premiums and buy lottery tickets. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-enroll-in-obamacare-now-the-penalty-for-not-doing-so-is-tiny/685025/17 "2014-04-01T03:07:27Z")
> [@phall0106](#): > > Hallgirl1 works part-time at a store and make slightly more than minimum wage. (Shes in school full time.) Since she lives in Pennsylvania, we don’t have access to the federal benefits which could make healthcare affordable for her. (Thanks Govn. Corbutt!) The lowest quote she could find for healthcare premiums was around $400 a month, which would be nearly all her monthly salary. Because she’s not pregnant, she doesn’t qualify for Medical Assistance. In her case, she’s really left with no choice but to pay the penalty. She won’t have to pay the penalty. People with very low incomes are exempt from the mandate (sucks that she can’t get coverage though).